The Anantnag Lok Sabha bypoll has been deferred to May 25, the Election Commission announced. Earlier, the bypoll was scheduled for April 12. 

The Election Commission today discussed the unprecedented election-day violence and poor voter turnout in the bypoll to the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.


Eight people were killed yesterday in firing by security forces in the Srinagar Lok Sabha bypoll where only 7.14 per cent of the electorate came out to cast their vote.


Sources privy to the meeting said top Commission brass met to discuss past precedents and various options available to it, so that the poll panel could take a considered view under these circumstances.


In the 2014 general elections, 26 per cent voting was recorded on this seat, while in the polls of 1989, Mohammad Shafi Bhat won uncontested. The previous lowest turnout in the prestigious seat was 11.93 per cent in 1999 when Omar Abdullah had defeated Mehbooba Mufti in a straight contest.


J-K former chief minister and National Conference stalwart Farooq Abdullah, who had lost the seat in the 2014 elections, is locked in a straight fight with Nazir Ahmad Khan of the ruling PDP along with seven other candidates.


State Chief Electoral Officer Shantmanu had yesterday said that a decision on a repoll in violence-hit areas will be taken after examining the diaries of the presiding officers.


Almost 70 per cent of the polling booths in Budgam district were abandoned by the polling staff due to the spate of violent protests in several areas, officials in Srinagar had said.


IMAGE: A charred polling staff bus following an attack by a group of protesters at Nowgam during voting for Srinagar bypoll. Photograph: Umar Ganie

India reacts to Jadhav death sentence: Will not release about a dozen Pakistani prisoners who were to be repatriated on Wednesday.

A suspected Pakistani national was today nabbed along the international border in Sriganganagar district in Rajasthan, officials said. The Border Security Force (BSF) jawans held the 55-year-old suspected Pakistani national when he reached the IB fencing, they said. Rs 883 in Pakistani currency, a visiting card and a match box were recovered from the suspect, they added. Pakistani authorities have been informed about the incident, Station House Officer, Anupgarh, Bhawani Singh told PTI. Security agencies are likely to carry out a joint interrogation in the matter, he said.

VVIP culture ends.
All applicants for a driving licence have to come personally to the Road Transport Authority to apply, or renew their driving licence. This comes after the Lok Sabha passed the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill on Monday.
Few exemptions have however been made for the President, Prime Minister and Governors.
But for the rest, it's time to queue up -- to get your picture taken, affix your thumb impression -- and test your patience. 

The ministry of external affairs reacts to the Pakistan government's decision to hang Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav for espionage.

The Foreign Secretary summoned the Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and issued a demarche saying proceedings that led to sentence of Kulbhushan Jadhav are farcical.
 
The MEA demarche read: "If basic norms of law and justice are not observed the government and people of of India will regard it as premeditated murder.

"It is significant that our High Commission was not even informed that Kulbhushan Jadhav was being brought to trial.

"Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran, no consular access was given by Pakistan.

"If hanged, it will be premeditated murder."

A senior Pakistani journalist tells NDTV that Jadhav is likely to be hanged shortly, possibly within a month. 

A Pakistani army court on Monday sentenced Kulbhushan Jadhav to death for for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan, the military announced.

The spy has been tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under Pakistan Army Act and awarded death sentence, the militarys media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has confirmed his death sentence awarded by FGCM, it added.

Jadhav was arrested on March 3 last year by Pakistan security officials in Balochistan after he entered from Iran. He has been accused by Pakistan of planning subversive activities in the country.

India has acknowledged Jadhav as a retired Indian Navy officer, but denied the allegation that he was in any way connected to the government.

One for the album. PM Modi with Australia PM Malcolm Turnbull at the Akshardham temple in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to meet Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and discuss crucial issues like the appointments of senior law officers based in Lucknow and Allahabad.

Adityanath met Jaitley for 30 minutes during which names for the post of chief secretary and senior police officers were discussed. Interestingly, the the PMO is also keeping close tabs on the UP administration.

Political circles in New Delhi has given Yogi Adityanath 8/10 for bringing a certain discipline amongst government offcials.

PM Modi with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull at the Akshardham temple.

India has acknowledged that Kulbhushan Jadhav served with the navy but denied he has any connection with the government. "The individual has no link with government since his premature retirement from Indian Navy," the External Affairs Ministry had said in a statement in March last year. India had demanded Consular access to Jadhav, but Pakistan repeatedly denied Indian officials access to him.

PM Narendra Modi and Australia PM Malcolm Turnbull take a ride on the Delhi metro. Boarding the train at Mandi House station, the PM and Turnbull are headed to the Akshardham temple.

Turnbull tweeted: With @narendramodi on the Delhi Metro Blue Line - 212 kms & 159 stations since 2002.

While the PM tweeted: On board the Delhi Metro with PM @TurnbullMalcolm. We are heading to the Akshardham Temple.

Earlier, chants of Modi! Modi! greeted the PM at the Mandi House station as they boarded the train.

Inside the train, the Australian PM took a selfie with Modi as officials looked on indulgently.

India and Australia on Monday signed six MoUs in different fields including combating terrorism, civil aviation security, sports, health and medicine and satellite navigation.

The MoUs were signed after the delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull in New Delhi.

The six MoUs signed between both nations are as follows:

1. Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime.

2. Promotion and Development of Cooperation in Civil Aviation Security.

3. Cooperation in the field of Environment, Climate and Wildlife.

4. Cooperation in Sports.

5. Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine.

6. Implementation arrangement between ISRO and Geoscience Australia on Cooperation in Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Turnbull said Australia will continue to ensure that they will provide outstanding opportunities for Indian students.

"Not only cricket but commitment to democracy and rule of law connects the two nations. He appreciated the success as a largest democracy in the world. Research institutions of the two countries are collaborating in critical areas including health," he added.

Earlier in the day, the visiting dignitary was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhavan. He also visited the Rajghat to pay floral tributes to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

The two Prime Ministers also inaugurated the Nano-Techhnology Centre at Gurugram through video conference.

"When African ambassadors said the attacks against Africans are 'xenophobic and racial in nature," the MEA declared "strong Indian institutions are adequate to deal with aberrations that represent an act of a few criminals.''

"This is a lie," says Aakar Patel. "India's institutions can't even protect Indians against mob attacks, how will they protect foreigners?" Read the column on Rediff.com here.

PM Narendra Modi and Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull arrive at Mandi House metro station, for a ride in the Delhi Metro. 

Congress reacts to Kulbhushan Jadhav's death sentence.

The Congress has demanded the government to get back Jadhav.

"Kulbhushan Jadhav has been sentenced to death by Kangroo Proceedings in Pakistan that no one even knows ever took place. GOI must get him back," senior Congress leader Manish Tewari tweeted.

Jadhav, 46, was arrested by Pakistan police in Balochistan in March last year. He was accused by Pakistan of creating unrest in Balochistan and Karachi.

The Pakistan Army even released a video in which Jadhav purportedly "confesses" to his "involvement" in terror activities in Balochistan at his country's behest.


Since March 2016, India issued at least six note verbales to Pakistan to get consular access to Jadhav, but there was no breakthrough. While Pakistan had been claiming Jadhav is a commander-rank officer with the Indian Navy, India has rejected the allegation and maintained that he retired from the Navy in 2002 and was now a businessman.

Read MK Bhadrakumar's March 2016 blog on Kulbhushan Jadhav: The brawls involving spy agencies of India and Pakistan are crass encounters -- eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. They are never riveting like a Le Carre thriller. But a genuine India-Pakistan spy thriller could be unfolding, finally.

Also read: The curious case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, 'spy'

Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor @OfficialDGISPR tweets: Indian R&AW agent #Kalbushan awarded death sentence through FGCM by Pakistan Army for espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan.

Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian national accused of espionage by Pakistan, has been sentenced to death, the head of the Pakistan military's public relations department announced on Monday afternoon.


Pakistan's Dawn.com reports: Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016 through a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan's Mashkel area for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. Jadhav was tried by the FGCM under Section 59 of the PAA and Section 3 of the official Secret Act of 1923, the statement said. 


Jadhav confessed before a magistrate and court that he was tasked by Indian spy agency Research and Analysis wing to plan, coordinate and organise espionage and sabotage activities seeking to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan through impeding the efforts of law enforcement agencies for the restoration of peace in Balochistan and Karachi, the ISPR said. The accused had been provided with a defending officer as per legal provisions, the ISPR said.


Also see: Why Kulbhushan Jadhav couldn't be a R&AW spy

It was entirely vegetarian fare at the lunch hosted by PM Narendra Modi for his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull today.

The lunch held at Hyderabad House, on the occasion of Turnbull's four-day visit to India, was a 14-course meal with a starter, soup, kebabs, main courses and three desserts.

The meal began with Paanipuri Shots described as: stuffed puffs with streetfood masala served with a shot of tangy asfetida flavoured water, moved on to a Broccoli Walnut Soup, two kinds of kababs -- Rajmah Galauti kabab (yeah) and  a spinach and beetroot seekh kabab.

Koftas, dals, Arbi Musallams, pulao comprised the main course. 

The Australian delegation lunched to a violin, keyboard and tabla concert and ended the meal with a three-course dessert of kulfi falooda, crisp jalebis and fresh fruit.   

Turnbull arrived in New Delhi yesterday -- his first visit to India. He will be accorded with a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

India and Australia today inked six pacts including one aimed at boosting counter-terrorism cooperation after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbul

On Tuesday, Turnbull will visit Mumbai where he will attend several events, including an interaction with key business leaders and an energy round-table. 


Image: The menu at the lunch today. The picture was tweeted by Amitabh Mattoo.

Something to awaken you from your post-lunch stupor...


Multiple orgasms are quite common among females while making out with their partners, but a study has revealed that around seven in ten women may achieve as many as 20 orgasms during sex.


According to researchers, two percent women, reported being able to climax 20 times in a single session while eight percent claimed to have more than ten during sex, reports the Mirror.


Celebrity sexual health couple Dr David Delvin and Dr Christine Webber asked 1,250 women aged between 20 to 24 about their orgasms in an online survey.


"We knew that very large numbers of women have problems and anxieties about the subject of orgasm," said Harley Street doctor Christine Webber.


"Many men and women, including, alas, some doctors, still believe the myth that for all women, being penetrated by a penis which goes in and out should be enough to make them orgasm," Webber added.

JUST IN: Pakistan likely to appoint Sohail Mahmood as new envoy to India

China today claimed full credit for rescuing a cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the strategic Gulf of Aden, ignoring Indian Navy's role in the operation. While a Chinese navy statement last night omitted any reference to the Indian Navy in providing helicopter cover to the Chinese ship whose special forces boarded the Tuvaluan ship under hijack, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the operation demonstrated "effectiveness of the Chinese naval force in the field of fighting against pirates". When questioned about the absence of any mention of the Indian Navy's role in the operation, Hua said China's Ministry of Defence should be approached for details.

Asserting that late night rave parties are not part of Goa's culture, state's Water Resources Department Minister Vinod Palyekar on Monday called for a state wide ban and said that such parties allow the drug industry to flourish which adversely affect the youth.


"Late night parties should be banned in Goa. Though our state runs on tourism, but under the garb of tourism drugs are being supplied. This is adversely affecting our youth. If you visit the coastal areas (then) you can see how the youth are getting ruined because of this," Palyekar told ANI.


Palyekar further said that he has held discussions with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on the same, adding he has instructed the police to maintain strict vigilance and ensure that such parties do not take place.

The Supreme Court is hearing the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association's plea against use of pellet guns in the state.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi representing the Centre told the three judge bench of SC that using pellet guns is the last resort and the idea is not to kill anybody.

The AG also told the apex court that they are also exploring other options like, rubber bullets for dispersing the crowd instead of pellet guns. Rohtagi further told the court that rubber bullets are not as lethal as a pellet gun.


The AG told the Supreme Court that power shells, tear gas, laser dazzler and acoustic methods have primarily remained ineffective. He also said forces are working on new non-lethal methods to disperse crowd, but due to security reasons, the methods cannot be named.

Arguments to continue after lunch.

In the last hearing, the apex court had asked the Centre to consider effective means other than use of pellet guns to quell stone pelting mobs in Jammu and Kashmir as it concerns life and death.

The KHBA had earlier alleged that the pellet guns are being 'misused'.

The case was filed in the wake of the several lives lost during last year unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Meanwhile, the poll panel is examining whether the Anantnag bypolls should be cancelled.


Also read:Pellet guns to be fitted with deflectors to 'minimise damage'

Che Guevara's brother opens up 50 years after the revolutionary icon's death.


Ernesto Che Guevara's brother has said he wants to people to remember his late sibling's "human face' and "pull him down off his pedestal'. In his memoir, written 50 years after the death of the Marxist guerilla leader, Che's youngest brother, Juan Martin Guevara, says he began as "an ordinary person' and would have "hated being turned into an idol'.

On 9 October 1967, the hero of the Cuban Revolution was captured and executed by Bolivian forces. His family learned the news from front pages of newspapers and decided not to say anything at the time.  Read more


Image: Che Guevara with Fidel Castro.

Taking on P Chidambaram over his remarks on the influence of black money in the RK Nagar by-polls, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday alleged that black money surfaced during the former UPA regime while demanding an explanation from the former finance minister on the same.


"How did the black money surface? I guess Chidambaram knows it better. The reason being back money was generated during their regime and it is only after our government came to power that the generation of black money was effectively curbed," Naidu told ANI.


"Despite our efforts, if things happened there, the explanation can only be given by the parties who distributed money there," he added.


Responding to the opposition parties' allegations that the Centre is 'misusing' government agencies like the Income Tax Department for their ulterior motives, Naidu said, "What misuse? These departments have been doing their job diligently, they should be congratulated."


Naidu's remarks came in response to Chidambaram's tweet wherein he asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if his demonetisation drive achieved desired results, hours after the poll body canceled the April 12 by-polls.


"We were told demonetisation has put an end to black money. Was money distributed in R K NAGAR white money (sic)?, he said.

PM Narendra Modi welcomes the Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Turnbull is in New Delhi today on a four-day visit.

Following the cancellation of the by-polls in Chennai's R.K. Nagar constituency, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Monday demanded the dismissal of the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led Tamil Nadu Government and immediate action against the culprits.


"There was support of the police to the ruling faction of the AIADMK. They distributed the money with the aid of the police. The Chief Minister was also used to distribute the money. The DMK would have easily won these elections. This incumbent government should be dismissed," DMK leader TKS Elangovan told ANI.


The elections were earlier scheduled to be held on Wednesday.


The Election Commission said that the by-elections shall be held by the poll panel in due course when the vitiating effect created by the distribution of money and gift items to allure the electors gets removed with the passage of time and the atmosphere in the constituency becomes conducive to the holding of free and fair election.

In further trouble for Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, the ED has summoned him for questioning in its money laundering probe against him and others.


The Enforcement Directorate (ED) action comes close on the heels of the CBI filing a charge sheet against him and his wife and others for allegedly amassing assets worth around Rs 10 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income.


Officials said the agency has issued fresh summons to Singh as it wants to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).


They said he has been asked to depose before the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case on April 13 here.The agency has summoned Singh earlier too but then he had excused himself stating his official commitments.


It has already questioned his wife Pratibha and son Vikramaditya in this case. The ED had filed a case under criminal provisions of the anti-money laundering law against the CM, his family members and others after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by the CBI in this regard in September, 2015.


The agency is probing allegations against Singh and his family members of having amassed wealth of Rs 6.1 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income between 2009 and 2011 when he was the Union Minister of Steel. It has also attached assets worth about Rs 14 crore in this case under PMLA laws.


The CBI chargesheet, filed sometime back, claims that the politician had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate by 192 per cent of his total income during his tenure as a Union Minister.


The final report filed against nine people for alleged offences punishable under section 109 (abetment) and 465 (punishment for forgery) of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act, arrayed around 225 witnesses and 442 documents. Besides the 82-year-old Congress leader and his wife Pratibha Singh, the report also arraigned Chunni Lal Chauhan, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, Lawan Kumar Roach and Ram Prakash Bhatia as accused.

The proceedings of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned multiple times today over the purported racial remarks of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tarun Vijay.

As soon as the lower house took up Question Hour, Congress members raised the issue and demanded an apology.

As they raised slogans, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes.

Pandemonium continued when the House reassembled.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Are people living in South India part of country or not? This shows your mentality, do you want to divide India?"

"What action are you going to take?Otherwise we will have to agitate not only inside but outside too," Kharge asked the government.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh stood up to reply amid din.

"India is a secular country, discrimination on basis of caste,creed,colour cannot be allowed here," he said.

However, the uproar continued and the speaker adjourned the House again.

In Rajya Sabha, the Congress forced two adjournments during pre-noon session over alleged misuse of Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation against opposition chief ministers.

Congress first sought suspension of business to discuss the alleged 'unleashing' of ED and CBI against former chief ministers belonging to opposition parties and then trooped into the Well of the House raising slogans.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien first adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes.

But when similar scenes were witnessed again, he was forced to adjourn the proceedings for another five minutes.

Omar Abdullah @abdullah_omar reacts to Tasaduq Mufti's appeal to the Election Commission asking for the Anantnag bypolls to be deferred.
"@MehboobaMufti Tassaduq's statement is an indictment of his sister @MehboobaMufti's government & its abject failure. How can the BJP not see this?"

Calling for more concentrated efforts against security threats, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said Dhaka has comprehensively addressed New Delhi's security concerns, which has been a factor in trust building.


"We have put in place a multi-layered and effective bilateral security architecture with many dedicated joint institutional mechanisms for targeted and coordinated actions," said Hasina at India Foundation Awareness Programme in New Delhi.


She said that security threats from state and non-state actors tend to undermine the efforts to integrate our economies and societies and that there should be more concentrated efforts to strengthen protection for our societies.


"We have amicably settled Land Boundary and Maritime Boundary," she added while reiterating her appreciation for leaders of all political parties and members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of India for their unanimous support for the Land Boundary Agreement.


She noted that the Bangladesh Parliament recently adopted a unanimous resolution declaring March 25 as 'Genocide Day' in remembrance of the Pakistani atrocities during the Liberation War in 1971 and called on the international community to recognise the sameHasina added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a commitment to remain with this effort of Dhaka.

SC dismisses PIL seeking to declare Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan as illegal and unconstitutional.

The PDP asks the Election Commission to postpone the bypolls in Anantnag. PDP's Tasaduq Mufti, who joined the party on the first death anniversary of this father, former J-K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
 

"We appeal to the poll panel to postpone the Anantanag polls. If my withdrawing helps the situation, I will withdraw. The government had told the EC that the situation is not right to conduct polls," Mufti said.


"April 12th by-polls in Anantnag should be postponed," said Tasaduq Mufti, the brother of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.


Tasaduq, a famed cinematographer (Omkara), joined the party in the presence of his sister and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who was there along with her cabinet and party colleagues in January.

In a bid to obstruct the upcoming Anantnag by-polls, miscreants on Monday set the government schools designated as polling booths on fire.


A government middle school in Shopian`s Padarpora was set ablaze by unidentified people today. On Sunday, the government high school in Pulwama was razed to the ground in a similar manner.


Meanwhile, security remains tight and the Valley has been turned into a fortress.

Booths have been provided maximum security, with hundreds of troopers deployed at colleges and schools where voting will be held.

Following the escalation of violence on Sunday, Internet services have suspended in entire Kashmir Valley till Anantnag by-polls on April 12.

Apart from this, all Kashmir University exams scheduled to be held-up to the Anatanag by-polls have been postponed.

New dates for the same will be notified separately.

The civilians were killed during clashes with security forces in various areas of central Kashmir`s Budgam district yesterday.


The Srinagar Parliamentary constituency witnessed lowest voter turnout for the by-polls in the wake of the clashes.


File pic: PDP's Tasaduq Mufti with his sister and J-K CM Mehbooba Mufti

Much has been written about the unfinished agenda of the former defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, in South Block, before the politics of his home state beckoned to him to return.


In a state where the relaxed people-friendly atmosphere is a welcome feature, the former defence minister will no doubt find his return a refreshing change from the imposing South Block and the institutional conflicts within.


Reflecting on his brief foray on to the national stage and much that he attempted to change for the better, the one unfinished item on his agenda that he may rue is in the field of civil-military relations, of which the controversy surrounding the appointment of the new chief of army staff was a significant manifestation.


Clearly, the bureaucracy had not prepared him for the consequences that would follow once the ministry of defence decided to appoint an army chief over the heads of two other army commanders senior to him and in no way any the less professional. Read more

Gopal Baglay‏ @MEAIndia: Reinforcing foundation for closer cooperation. EAM @SushmaSwaraj calls on PM @TurnbullMalcolm , welcomes him before delegation level talks.


Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull arrived in New Delhi for a four-day visit today.

This is Turnbull's first visit to India. He will be accorded with a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow.

Later, there will be delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turnbull.

On Tuesday, Turnbull will visit Mumbai where he will attend several events, including an interaction with key business leaders and an energy round-table.

Cooperation in renewable energy, clean coal and bio-fuels will be high on agenda during his visit. A number of MoUs and agreements are also to be firmed up in the areas of security, environment, sports, science and technology and health.

Turnbull and Prime Minister Modi have had substantive meetings on the sidelines of the G-20 in Antalya in 2015 and in Hangzhou in 2016.

Government schools designated as polling booths ahead of the Anantnag by-polls are under attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Miscreants have been setting them on fire in a clear attempt to obstruct the upcoming polls.


Earlier today, a Government Middle school, in Shopian's Padarpora was set ablaze by unidentified people and on Sunday, the Government High School in Pulwama was razed to the ground in a similar manner.


Meanwhile, security remains tight and the Valley has been turned into a fortress. Booths have been provided maximum security, with hundreds of troopers deployed at colleges and schools where voting will be held.


Following the escalation of violence on Sunday, internet services have suspended in entire Kashmir Valley till Anantnag by-polls on April 12.


Apart from this, all Kashmir University exams scheduled to be held up-to the Anatanag by-polls have been postponed. New dates for the same will be notified separately.


Meanwhile, with another civilian succumbing to injuries, the death toll in the brutal Budgam clashes has gone up to seven.The civilians were killed during clashes with security forces in various areas of central Kashmir's Budgam district.The Srinagar Parliamentary constituency witnessed lowest voter turnout for the by-polls in the wake of the clashes

Update: Mamata Banerjee is in the capital for the last four days primarily in connection with the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The West Bengal chief minister met Hasina on Saturday but refused to back down on sharing the Teesta waters. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today. After the meeting the CM told the media that they discussed pending projects and the state share of West Bengal. "He said we'll try to consider it," Banerjee said after meeting PM Modi.

For the first time in nearly eight months, the West Bengal Chief Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met last week, in the backdrop of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit on Friday.

Meanwhile, Opposition leaders will meet the Election Commission at 5 pm today over the EVM issue. Opposition leaders to put forward their demand before the EC, of holding elections 50% through VVPAT machines & 50% by ballot papers. 

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared a three-month state of emergency in Egypt following twin church bombings that killed dozens of people in two cities today. Sisi announced the "state of emergency for three months" in a defiant speech at the presidential palace after a meeting of the national defence council. The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the church bombings in the Nile Delta cities of Alexandria and Tanta in which at least 44 people were killed.

As the Election Commission cancelled the R K Nagar bypoll over use of money power, Congress leader P Chidambaram today took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking if his demonestisation drive has achieved the desired results.


"We were told demonetisation has put an end to black money. Was money distributed in R K NAGAR white money?," the former Finance and Home Minister said in a tweet.


The Election Commission had last night cancelled the April 12 bypoll to the R K Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu, saying the electoral process has been "seriously vitiated" by parties through use of money power.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while announcing the demonestisation decision on November 8, had said that the move would curb blackmoney besides getting other positive results. The bypoll to R K Nagar was necessitated due to the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

"The first person who started beating these men was Nitin, a college president, and the other was Deepak, who is currently absconding.

''After that, two more joined the mob.

''The last one who we arrested was a passerby who was going with cremation material to prepare for his father's funeral.

''He stopped by and he too started beating these men."

Alwar Superintendent of Police Rahul Prakash claims that the local police has filed cases against 14 people under the Rajasthan Bovine Animal Act and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and are deeming them as cow smugglers.

The Alwar SP is categorical that the 15 men from Haryana's Mewat district -- including Pehlu Khan who was beaten up by a mob in Rajasthan's Alwar district on suspicion of smuggling cows -- had no verified documents to prove that they were in the dairy business and not cow smugglers. 

Read Prasanna D Zore's interview with the Alwar SP here.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav has said that security forces will continue to respond to militants in Kashmir with the "utmost harshness" and asserted he expects a calm summer in the Valley.


"We cannot allow militants and terrorists to have a field day, we will go after them with the utmost harshness, I should say... this summer will be relatively peaceful," Madhav told The Telegraph in an exclusive interview on a wide range of subjects, from Yogi Adityanath to cow vigilantes to the political state of play in the second half of Narendra Modi's term as Prime Minister.  Read more


File pic

An ex-Navy SEAL, who claims to have killed Osama bin Laden, has revealed that the al-Qaeda chief's head was so severely destroyed by his gunfire that it had to be pressed back together for identification.


Ex-Navy SEAL team shooter Robert O'Neill has reasserted his claim that he alone pumped three bullets into Osama, killing the architect of the 9/11 attacks, in a new book.In 'The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Bin Laden', the former Navy SEAL Team 6 shooter lays out the details of what went down that night inside the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, the New York Daily News reported.


While controversy still swirls around O'Neill's version of the May 2, 2011, raid, much of it centers on his breaking the Special Ops code of silence.


O'Neill, in his book, makes the gruesome claim that Osama's head was so severely destroyed by his gunfire that it had to be pressed back together for identification photographs.


In O'Neill's version, he was trailing five or six other SEALs climbing the stairs to the compound's second floor when Osama's son Khalid appeared on the half-landing with an AK-47.


The agents were able to lure Khalid from where he was hiding behind a banister by calling to him in Arabic, saying: 'Khalid, come here.'


He shouted in response: 'What?' and emerged from his hiding spot, and was immediately shot in the face, the report said.


Once upstairs, the men spread out to search the rooms. In the compound with Osama were three of his four wives and 17 children.


O'Neill kept his hand on the point man's shoulder. The two were alone on the stairway, convinced that whoever was on the third floor was strapping on a suicide vest for an explosive last stand.


O'Neill recounts that finally he decided to take action. He squeezed the point man's shoulder, the signal to charge and then burst past the curtain.The point man tackled two screaming women to the floor.


Bin Laden stood near the bed, his hands on the shoulders of the woman in front of him. She was later identified as Amal, the youngest of his four wives, the report said.


"In less than a second, I aimed above the woman's right shoulder and pulled the trigger twice," O'Neill writes."Bin Laden's head split open, and he dropped. I put another bullet in his head. Insurance," he writes.


According to O'Neill, the other members of the team rushed into the room only after he placed a 2-year-old boy found covering in a corner alongside Osama's widow on the bed.


A harrowing 90-minute flight returned the squadron to camp in Afghanistan.O'Neill's book comes five years after "No Easy Day," fellow SEAL Mark Bissonnette's account of the operation.


He agreed to surrender the USD 6.8 million in proceeds from the book for his use of classified information and violation of a non-disclosure deal.

Four militants were today killed as Army foiled an infiltration bid in Keran sector in Kupwara district of north Kashmir. A defence spokesman said that a group of militants tried to infiltrate from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector but troops foiled their bid. In the subsequent exchange of fire, four militants were killed, the spokesman said. Search operations are on in the area.

A meeting of the top NDA leaders will be held in New Delhi today and representatives of 32 parties are likely to attend it.


This will be the second such meeting after the Bharatiya Janata Party was voted to power in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.


Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will attend the called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the presidential elections in July this year. Uddhav will leave for Delhi around 1pm and will be accompanied by Aaditya.


Representatives of all the allies of the BJP across the country will participate in the meeting during the evening, followed by a dinner.


According to reports, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his Jammu and Kashmir counterpart Mehbooba Mufti among others will attend the meeting.Several Chief Ministers have scheduled meeting with the Prime Minister on the sidelines of the meeting.


The leaders will take stock of the political situation and decide on future strategy of the alliance. Besides that a number of Union ministers will be present at the meeting.


File pic.

The Majlis Bachao Tehreek has filed a police complaint against Bharatiya Janata Party MLA T Raja Singh for hate speech on Ram Navami in Hyderabad.

The MLA courted a controversy when he said that he would behead the ones opposing the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

"Some people are saying that they will create ruckus if Ram Mandir is built in Ayodhya. I welcome the ones who are warning of dire consequences. We have been waiting for years to behead such traitors," he said.

When asked to clarify his statement on the same, Singh remained adamant and reiterated that he could even sacrifice his life and kill others for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

"I made my statement for those people who said that they will create ruckus if the Ram Temple was constructed in Ayodhya. For the construction of the temple, we can sacrifice our lives and even kill others. This is my warning to those who want to create hindrance in the construction of the temple," Singh said.

Singh, who represents the Goshamal constituency in the Hyderabad assembly, is known for his right wing activities and has also been arrested multiple times. -- ANI

JUST IN: Four terrorists killed during an infiltration bid in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir: Army.

There will be a relaxation of curfew in Odisha's Bhadrak till 12 noon on Monday, which was imposed following a spree of violence.

On Sunday, the curfew was relaxed from 8 am to 11 am but later extended till 12 noon on Monday to allow people to acquire essential commodities.

According to reports, the Centre on Saturday rushed 2,000 paramilitary personnel to Odisha to assist the local administration. 20 companies of the paramilitary personnel were dispatched to Odisha to help restore normalcy in the district.

Following a derogatory Facebook post against Lord Rama, Section 144 has been imposed in Bhadrak after protests broke out.

Fresh violence erupted in some areas on Friday evening after talks failed to resolve the row triggered by alleged abusive remarks on social media against a particular community.

Though Section 144 was imposed in the town, officials had to clamp curfew as the situation deteriorated further.

About 15 platoons of police have been deployed. -- ANI

In a unique initiative, the Assam government on Sunday declared that people marrying before attaining the legal age for matrimony and couples having more than two children will not be eligible for the state governments jobs.

"Anyone having more than 2 children, marrying before attaining legal age won't be eligible for Assam govt. jobs under new population policy," said state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while unveiling details of the policy's draft.

The main aim to implement this policy is the development of the people below poverty line, decrease in percentage of child death, maternal deaths etc.

In India the two-child norm, is rarely followed strictly. While, the legal age to marry is 21 for men, and 18 for women and it attracts punishment whenever such incidents are caught.The policy, by the state government is a part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's vision document for the state which is considered to be an attempt to control the population of the Bengali-speaking Muslim immigrants in the state.

As per the 2011 census of the state, which has a population of more than 31 million, witnessed the highest increase in Muslim population from 30.9% in 2001 to 34.2 per cent in a decade. -- ANI

IMAGE: Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, left, with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.